The
Gujarat
government
banned
the
release
of
Sanjay
Leela
Bhansali
film
Padmavati
with
Chief
Minister
Vijay
Rupani
claiming
it
was
"hurting
sentiments" of
the
Rajput
community
and
would
not
be
screened
in
the
poll-bound
state
in
view
of
law
and
order
concerns.
A
notification
banning
the
film's
release
was
issued
by
the
information
and
broadcasting
department
of
the
state.
"In
exercise
of
the
powers
conferred
by
sub-section
(1)
of
the
section
6
of
the
Gujarat
Cinemas
(Regulation)
Act,
2004,
the
government
of
Gujarat
hereby
imposes
ban
on
Hindi
feature
film
Padmavati
produced
by
Viacom18
Motion
Pictures
and
Bhansali
Productions
Pvt
Ltd
within
the
jurisdiction
of
the
state
of
Gujarat," the
notification
read.
Earlier
in
the
day,
Rupani
had
said
he
will
not
allow
the
film
to
release
in
the
poll-bound
state
as
it
hurt
the
sentiments
of
the
Rajput
community.
"We
can't
allow
our
history
to
be
distorted.
We
believe
in
freedom
of
speech
and
expression
but
any
foul
play
with
our
great
culture
is
not
tolerated," the
chief
minister
said.
There
are
issues
with
the
film,
our
sympathy
is
with
those
protesting
against
the
film
and
that
is
the
reason
we
will
not
allow
its
release
in
the
state
till
those
issues
are
resolved,
Rupani
said
in
Ahmedabad.
"Elections
are
also
approaching
and
we
do
not
want
any
row
here.
The
matter
comes
under
law
and
order
situation
and
that
is
the
reason
we
have
taken
this
decision," Rupani
said.
Asked
if
he
had
seen
the
film,
he
said,
"The
makers
of
the
film
should
screen
it
for
those
who
are
protesting
against
it
and
resolve
the
issue.
Our
concern
is
protests
and
law
and
order
situation
at
the
time
of
elections."
Several
BJP-ruled
states
like
Uttar
Pradesh,
Madhya
Pradesh
and
Rajasthan
have
expressed
opposition
to
the
film.
Rupani's
Haryana
counterpart
Manohar
Lal
Khattar,
however,
said
that
he
would
wait
and
watch
for
the
censor
board
decision
on
the
movie.
"The
government
will
take
a
call
upon
the
screening
of
Padmavati
after
the
decision
by
CBFC," Khattar
said
adding
that
nobody
would
be
allowed
to
hurt
sentiments.
He
distanced
himself
from
the
Haryana
BJP
chief
media
coordinator
Surajpal
Singh
Amu's
remarks
about
offering
a
bounty
of
Rs
ten
crore
to
anyone
beheading
Bhansali
or
lead
actress
Deepika
Padukone.
"The
BJP
has
also
issued
a
show
cause
notice
to
Amu,"
he
said
while
also
pointing
to
an
FIR
against
the
state
leader.
The
row
over
the
Bollywood
flick,
meanwhile,
continued
to
simmer
with
the
Shri
Rajput
Karni
Sena
demanding
that
its
reels
be
"consigned
to
the
flames
of
Jauhar".
BJP
MP
Shatrughan
Sinha
waded
in
questioning
what
he
called
the
"silence"
of
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
and
Information
and
Broadcasting
Minister
Smriti
Irani.
Former
CPI(M)
general
secretary
Prakash
Karat,
in
an
editorial
in
party
organ
'Peoples'
Democracy',
compared
the
protesters
with
cow
vigilantes,
and
said
"mob
rule"
had
become
one
of
the
"hallmarks
of
the
Modi
raj".
The
controversy
also
reached
the
portals
of
Parliament
as
a
House
panel
sought
a
report
on
the
film
from
the
I&B
ministry
and
the
censor
board.
The
matter
was
taken
up
for
consideration
by
the
Lok
Sabha
Committee
on
Petitions
after
two
BJP
MPs
from
Rajasthan,
CP
Joshi
and
Om
Birla,
filed
a
plea
regarding
objectionable
content
in
the
movie.
Joshi
told
PTI
that
the
movie
should
be
shown
to
historians
and
the
descendants
of
the
erstwhile
royal
families,
who
trace
their
lineage
to
Padmavati,
before
release.
"The
panel
has
referred
the
matter
to
the
I&B
Ministry
and
the
censor
board.
It
has
asked
them
to
submit
a
report
before
November
30,"
BJP
leader
Bhagat
Singh
Koshyari,
who
heads
the
panel,
said.
Meanwhile,
BJP
MP
and
actor
Sinha,
who
has
often
taken
a
stand
contrary
to
that
of
his
party,
questioned
the
"silence"
of
the
prime
minister
and
the
I&B
minister.
"How
come
our
I&B
Minister
or
our
most
popular
Hon'ble
PM
(according
to
PEW)
are
maintaining
stoic
silence.
High
time!"
he
said
on
Twitter.
The
Patna
Sahib
MP
did
not
spare
Bollywood
top
guns
either.
"As
Padmavati
becomes
a
burning
controversy,
people
are
asking
why
the
legendary
Amitabh
Bachchan,
most
versatile
Aamir
Khan
and
most
popular
Shahrukh
Khan
have
no
comments,"
Sinha
tweeted.
The
Karni
Sena,
which
is
leading
the
protests
against
the
film,
continued
its
offensive.
"Its
reel
should
be
consigned
to
the
flames
of
'Jauhar',"
Lokendra
Singh
Kalvi,
chief
of
the
outfit,
told
reporters
in
New
Delhi.
He
lashed
at
Padukone
for
her
remarks
that
no
force
could
stop
the
film's
release.
"Who
is
Deepika
Padukone?
Is
she
the
president
or
the
prime
minister?
This
film
will
not
be
released
at
any
cost,"
he
said.
Asked
on
what
basis
was
he
claiming
that
the
film
distorted
history,
Kalvi
said
it
was
his
"assumption"
based
on
an
alleged
statement
of
Ranveer
Singh,
who
plays
Alauddin
Khilji
in
the
movie.
Director
Bhansali
recently
clarified
that
rumours
about
a
romantic
dream
sequence
between
Rani
Padmavati
and
Khilji's
characters
were
not
true
as
he
was
careful
in
depicting
"Rajput
honour
and
dignity".
Kalvi
also
alleged
to
have
received
"life
threats"
from
unknown
numbers,
one
of
which
"was
traced
back
to
Karachi".
In
Lucknow,
a
complaint
was
filed
in
a
court
seeking
prosecution
against
Bhansali
for
showing
the
film
to
three
journalists
without
the
censor
nod.
Many
groups
have
been
protesting
against
the
movie
alleging
distorting
of
history.
Historians
are,
however,
divided
on
whether
Rani
Padmavati
even
existed.
PTI